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Running attacking decoy plays in theory and practiceThe viability of using decoys on attacking plays has become absolutely essential at all levels of the professional game. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at how effective decoys/block are in attack plays.
How successful was Premiership's Philadelphia experiment?As the dust settles on the Aviva Premiership’s latest attempt to crack the United States market, Graham Jenkins reflects on what the league can learn from their Philadelphia experiment.
Exclusive: USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne talks growing the game StatesideWriter Graham Jenkins talks exclusively with USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne about various issues he’s faced in his first year in charge and looks ahead at the key areas of growth, ahead of this week’s Premiership game in the States.
Aggressive ball-placement options at the Women’s World Cup finalThe women’s game has the virtue of being different in character to the male version of rugby. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at why the women’s game is on the rise, especially after the outstanding World Cup final played last weekend between the New Zealand Black Ferns and the England Roses.
Do you love rugby more than you love your children?As coaches and referees, it is incredibly important that we teach our youngsters the safest way to enjoy our game but it is also imperative that we educate ourselves about the player welfare issues and share that knowledge with players and parents. With the northern season nearly upon us, writer Graham Jenkins looks at what measures the RFU implementing to make the game safer for junior players.
How to use your eyes – the 10/15 hybrid and engaging the last defender on attackThe first Bledisloe match of 2017 between New Zealand and Australia was decided partly in advance, by selection before the game ever started. How did the All Blacks achieve this? Analyst Nick Bishop explains in his latest article.
Why Warren Gatland will not be the next All Blacks coachYou could be forgiven for thinking there was no winner in the British & Irish Lions’ recent showdown with New Zealand given that the enthralling Test series was drawn. However surprisingly this was not the case as Graham Jenkins explains one person emerged with their reputation greatly enhanced.
Why the Lions series confounded expectationThe recent series between the New Zealand All Blacks and the British & Irish Lions was one which confounded expectation. Received wisdom suggested that the Lions needed to dominate set-piece and gain ascendancy over the Kiwi tight forwards in order to succeed. Analyst Nick Bishop looks at what actually did happen during the series.
What is the currency of the British & Irish Lions after New Zealand 2017?The simple answer to the question in the title of the article is $69 million NZ dollars. That is the monetary amount that educated estimates suggest will be generated by the Lions cycle (every four years) for the host union. Analyst Nick Bishop outlines who benefits most from the tours and ways it could be improved for all involved.
No winner but World Rugby still losesThe British & Irish Lions’ tour of New Zealand came to an enthralling and painfully frustrating conclusion at Eden Park on Saturday night. The occasion may have failed to provide a winner but there was certainly a loser. Leading writer Graham Jenkins explores the sport’s shortcomings that can no longer be ignored by World Rugby.
How the All Blacks sidestepped the Lions rush defence in the first TestOne of the great questions in the build-up to the Test series between New Zealand and the British & Irish Lions was: How will the All Blacks attack the Lions’ rush defence? – masterminded by Ireland defence coach Andy Farrell. In this week’s article, leading analyst Nick Bishop explains how it was achieved.
Integrating the forwards into phase attackWhy are teams from New Zealand the best in the world at integrating their forwards into attacks as they develop through phases. Analyst Nick Bishop shows how the Blues put into practice what Ex All Black coach Sir Graham demonstrates at his recent Stanford clinic.
Sarries focused on the journey - not the destinationCrowned Kings of Europe once again last month with a hard-fought 28-17 victory over French rivals Clermont Auvergne, Sarries then saw their hopes of a ‘double double’ dashed by Exeter Chiefs in an epic Premiership semi-final defeat just a week later. Leading writer Graham Jenkins looks at what’s behind Saracens ongoing success.
How to use the ‘double pump’ to unlock the Press defenceLeading analyst, Nick Bishop looks at the use of the pump-fake or double pump as another method of dislocating the Press defence, but on this occasion by keeping ball in hand.
Talent Is Not Enough - Aviva Premiership ReviewYou don’t have to be a genius to predict future performance by using previous performance. However, Gainline Analytics review the Premiership performances based on their recruitment based methodology rather than the typical performance based. See how the nuances of their predictions and the season played out.
Lions racing against time to beat the All BlacksAs daunting the prospect of facing the world’s best side on their own patch, the most formidable challenge facing the British & Irish Lions this summer is arguably not the All Blacks but the precious little time they have to ready themselves for an eagerly-awaited Test series. Leading writer Graham Jenkins looks at what Warren Gatland is doing to address the situation.
Unlocking the Press defence (part 2) – using the kick-passIn Nick’s most recent article, he looked at the chip kick and this week discusses how Beauden Barrett uses the kick-pass to great effect break down the Press defence.
New learning and a way to unlock the Press defenceOne of the biggest challenges for both sides during the up-coming Lions tour to NZ will be how to find ways to break down the versions of Press defence which will be employed by both sides. Leading rugby analyst Nick Bishop examines merits of both sides likely approach.
Psychology and the small moments of performanceMost successful rugby teams at professional level are those who emphasize ‘doing the next job’ and passing beyond failures, small or large, as quickly as possible. Leading analyst, Nick Bishop looks at the integration of mental skills coaches and the building of ‘mental muscle’ into successful rugby teams.
Is the sport really putting players first?World Rugby and the rugby union’s key stakeholders announced the latest long-term calendar for the game with great fanfare last month highlighting the ‘harmony’ it had brought to the sport.
Leading writer Graham Jenkins looks at claims it appears to have promoted disharmony with many concerned that the international schedule and the changes it has subsequently triggered actually jeopardise player welfare.
Have England lost their majority vote on the Lions trip to New Zealand?Leading analyst Nick Bishop discusses what a difference one week makes. Had the British & Irish Lions squad to New Zealand been selected after the demolition of Scotland at Twickenham, as many as 19 or 20 English players might have made it. Read more here…
Should England get excited by a defeat?Such a high-profile failure to perform and complete a clean sweep may well be cause for muted celebration. Rugby writer Graham Jenkins assesses the potential effect of England’s loss to Ireland at the weekend.
There is no substitute for hard workEngland have successfully clinched the 6 nations and equalled the All Black’s 18 match winning streak. Graham Jenkins reflects on where Eddie Jones and the team are at.
Ruck or no ruck - that is the questionThe recent Six Nations match between England and Italy raised a huge question about the refereeing of contact situations, and in particular the difficulty in establishing the difference between a ruck and a tackle. Leading analyst Nick Bishop discusses whether it’s a one off or teams will build their game around it.
How to attack ‘heads-up’ from scrumWhat is heads-up rugby in attack? Leading rugby analyst, Nick Bishop explains this in detail in his latest article.
England's growing belief will have All Blacks on high alertThis England side just refuses to accept defeat. Leading writer Graham Jenkins considers whether England’s growing unrelenting self belief will be causing the All Blacks any concern.
How to use ‘gadgets’ at the lineoutThe closer to set-piece a weakness can be pin-pointed, the more likely it is to result in a score. That score could be the difference between winning and losing. This week we hear from leading rugby analyst, Nick Bishop on his thoughts around lineout gadgets.
6 Nations 2017 – The Broader PictureBen Darwin from GAIN LINE Analytics gives his view on the prospects of the 2017 6 Nations tournament. What the underlying drivers to each teams success are and what they need to look out for over the tournament.
Farrell is a captain in everything but nameEngland flyhalf, Colin Farrell appears to have taken another step forward in his game development under Eddie Jones. Leading writer Graham Jenkins highlights Farrell’s progress and growing leadership influence within the national side.
How to make yourself an effective ‘jackal’It is hard to do without a number of specialists in defensive contact in the modern game. With the number of breakdowns on the increase and set-pieces on the slide, they have become essential personnel.
Nick Bishop looks at the stats and looks at who and what is required at the breakdown in today’s game.
